TOUR CHAMPIONSHIP

August 25, 2026

Alex Fitzpatrick

East Lake Golf Club

Press Conference

THE MODERATOR: We'd like to welcome Alex Fitzpatrick to the interview room here at the TOUR Championship. Alex, just thoughts on your season overall and how special it is to make it here as a rookie.

ALEX FITZPATRICK: Yeah, pretty incredible. I think now I'm here, definitely a part of me is like wow, this is really, really cool. Maybe it's sunk in a little bit. But seeing me being a part of the other 29 guys with a chance to win a tournament like this is amazing.

Yeah, just trying to make the most of it, been excited. And went out and played nine this morning, which was super fun. I like this golf course a lot, and just ready for a good week.

Q. Obviously your first TOUR Championship, but the format is going to be changing in 2028 for the post-season. Did you get a chance to look at that, and what are your thoughts on the match play and all those changes?

ALEX FITZPATRICK: Yeah, I had a brief scroll on Twitter. I saw it was changing to the last two weeks match play, I believe --

Q. Yeah, with group play --

ALEX FITZPATRICK: Yeah, I think it's exciting. I'm a massive fan of football -- well, soccer for you guys. But obviously the World Cup has that group stage, and then you keep playing until you have a winner.

I think it's a good take on the game, and it's different than the regular season. I think it provides like an end-of-year fun -- especially for the viewers at home, I think it provides something different, and that's super exciting. I think it's a good thing.

Q. I know your brother has talked about wanting that end-of-season champion like a Premier League or European soccer has. Do you think this format might be able to satisfy that as well with the two different champions?

ALEX FITZPATRICK: Yeah, definitely. I don't think one tournament is better than the other. I think they're two different tournaments. One is an end-of-the-season -- getting to the TOUR Championship is an end-of-the-year accomplishment for a great season, whereas the other one you're crowned a winner for being here.

I think it's pretty cool, and I think it's nice that it has a change of format for the fans at home that they've watched regular golf all year, and it provides something different.

Q. How much do you think this week goes between you and Chris on the rookie side of things?

ALEX FITZPATRICK: That's a good question. I would say maybe it all comes down to this week. But truthfully it's not something that I've really thought about that much. I think with everything else that's gone on this year, to be here has been amazing. I'm just super proud of myself for all the hard work and the season that I've had.

I think whatever happens this week between me and him, whoever is the Rookie of the Year is amazing, but we've both had great years, and we'll both be proud no matter what.

Q. You strictly had a European Tour card before New Orleans, right? But you can put yourself in his shoes and others and even going forward to next year. What is the difficulty, do you think, of going from a strictly European Tour schedule and coming over here for the first time in terms of new courses and new everything?

ALEX FITZPATRICK: Yeah, it's very different. The DP World Tour, for the first four months of the year, you travel across the world. You play in Dubai. You play in India. You play in Kenya. Obviously different golf courses, different places. It's just very, very different. Whereas you come to the States and the golf courses are different -- don't get me wrong, but you are still in America.

I think it's just a lot to adjust for some people. Luckily for me, I did four years here at Wake Forest, and I felt like I loved my time here. I've always loved America; hence why I'm so happy here.

I think for some people, they probably don't like it as much as me, and I think that's probably why they find it hard to adjust with the travel and how things are.

It's funny; it's hard for me to speak as much on it because I've enjoyed being here so much, so it's hard for me to understand why people would have such a hard time or find it difficult to move here and adjust.

Q. On the range last week in St. Louis, there was one moment where you had the longest pause at the top of your swing. I didn't know what you were working on or if that was a Wake Forest thing that Cam started.

ALEX FITZPATRICK: Well, obviously he's known for it now, him and Hideki. But for me, it was a drill to stop my left arm from getting as disconnected. It obviously happens as Cam is the person that does it and also went to Wake Forest and obviously one of my good friends.

For me it started as a drill that kind of seeped into my swing a little bit. There's probably a good chance I don't pause quite as much with some of the things I've been working on this week, but it's definitely something that helps me keep my left arm connected to my swing; otherwise, it gets out away from me and I start hitting big slices. We don't want that.

Q. You just played the front nine today?

ALEX FITZPATRICK: Just the front nine.

Q. Initial thoughts on the course?

ALEX FITZPATRICK: Yeah, I played here -- I can't remember what it was. It was the East Lake Cup, I believe, for college. I think my good friend Mark Power won it. It was different then, so coming here and playing the front nine with all the changes was strange to me, but I don't think the changes are necessarily bad.

The only thing I don't like is the 260-yard par-3 because I'm almost hitting driver. Other than that, I think it's great. I really like the style of the golf course. It's obviously going to be tough. Greens are very quick. Then obviously as the week goes on they'll only get firmer, so it'll be a really good test of golf.

Q. The first hole has historically been the most difficult hole here. Can you talk about what makes it so difficult tee to green?

ALEX FITZPATRICK: I think you're firstly teeing off from a putting green. They cut the grass so short that it's exactly the same as the putting green. So I think some people will find that very odd.

You have the road all the way down the left with a couple bunkers there, which you're trying to hit driver into a tight-ish gap. Then if you hit the fairway, you've still got 5-iron in. The green isn't exactly flat. It's a little undulating, and they can tuck pins. Yeah, I can see why it's going to be one of the hardest holes all week.

I think just the sheer length of it and then how tight the fairway is makes it tough.

Q. One of the things they're considering, I guess, for lack of a better word, on some of the post-season stuff, smaller footprints, et cetera, is having a case for no ropes and spectators can come on and watch as they do in the Walker Cup. Does that stuff work out here? I don't know what they did at Hoylake. Seminole you had no crowds, right? Was that COVID?

ALEX FITZPATRICK: Seminole, no, we had -- no, I think we had a few crowds. They were walking inside the ropes.

That's a great question. I think it's fine within reason. I think there might be times when maybe the crowd might get too close to you if you don't have any ropes, but at the same time it's nice for them to experience and get close up with the players and hear how we go through shots or get close enough to really feel like you're next to us when we're hitting.

I could see why it would be a great thing, but obviously there's times when you might have to be a little more careful.

But I say that, the one thing I remember watching this event more than anything was watching Tiger come up 18 and having all the people just swarm around, which I thought was the most incredible thing. I think it's a bit of -- it's a hard one to say if that's the right thing or not.

Q. What's the most you've ever been swarmed?

ALEX FITZPATRICK: Not many.

Q. Five?

ALEX FITZPATRICK: Yeah, five. Normally when I'm in the trees and they're looking for my ball and they're all surrounding it.

Q. What are your plans for the fall?

ALEX FITZPATRICK: I'm going back to play a few DP World Tour events. I'm going to play the Irish Open, Wentworth, and then I'm going to play the Dunhill with my brother and my family, and then I think I'm going to call it a day. I think I may be playing the Grant Thornton Invitational at the end of the year. That's kind of on my radar.

Other than that, I'm happy to take a well-earned rest, I think.

Q. Do you like the idea of the TOUR having a Fall Series where there's a bunch of international events and national opens?

ALEX FITZPATRICK: Yeah, I think so. I think what they do now is okay. At least from my perspective, the DP World Tour for me provides a great chance to play in these international events, but then obviously the Fall Series on the PGA TOUR gives guys an opportunity to try and get as close to the top 50 as possible.

I think both are good ways, and I don't know if they're speaking about maybe -- I don't know if the PGA TOUR is speaking about doing more international events. I don't know if that's what you mean. But if so, I think that would be super cool. Having events outside of America is great for fans and viewing. But yeah, I don't think that's a negative at all.

Q. What have you seen as the biggest difference in your brother's game this year?

ALEX FITZPATRICK: I haven't spoke to him for a while, so I should probably know. But it seems to be his iron play has been the one thing that's improved the most. I know he had a few rough patches with his putting that he seems to have got through, but the fact that his iron play is now one of the best in the world, I think that shows -- credit to Mark Blackburn and his work and obviously how hard my brother works. I think that's probably the biggest thing that has helped him this year.

But he seems to be doing great in every category. It's not like there's a specific one now that really feels like it lets him down. He's just so strong in every area. I think that's why he's been as successful as he has this year.